Shingle



June 23, 1953 Filed NOV. 29, 1949 P. E. WILLIAMS SHINGLE 3 Sheets-Sheet1 June 23, 1953 P. E. WILLIAMS 2,642,823

SHINGLE Filed Nov. 29, 1949 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 June 23, 1953 P. E.WILLIAMS 2,642,823

I SHINGLE Filed Nov. 29, 19.49 s Sheets-Sheet s Patented June 23, 1953UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SHINGLE Paul E. Williams, Ambler, Pa.,assignor to Keasbey and Mattison Company, Ambler, Pa., a corporation'ofPennsylvania Application November 29, 1949, Serial No. 129,939

More specifically a primary object of the in- 1 vention is to provide ashingle of the stated type which, when assembled with like shingles in aroof structure, will maintain a normal flat position in the assembly andwill exhibit no tendency to curl upwardly at the lower exposed edges.

Another object of the invention is to provide a shingle of the statedtype exhibiting a superior stability in the said assembly and affordinga roof requiring a minimum of maintenance, as hereinafter moreparticularly described.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a shingle thatmay-be applied to the roof structure either from left to right or viceversa as may be found expedient.

The invention resides further in certain structural details hereinafterdescribed and illustrat 'ed in the attached drawingswherein:

Fig. l is a face view of a shingle made in accordance with theinvention;

showing a section of roofing applied from right to left as distinguishedfrom the mode of application from left to right as illustrated in Fig.7.

With reference to Fig. 1 of the drawings, the shingle thereinillustrated is constructed in accordance generally with the principledisclosed in the aforesaid United States patent, but differs from thepatented shingle in certain of the essential respects. In accordancewith said principle, the shingle is of generally trapezoidal shape withthe side edges I and 2 extending substantially at right angles to thelower edge 3 of the shingle.

'The edge I is of greater length than the ed 1 Claim. (Cl. 108-8) fromthe normal line II.

2 2 so that in general the shingle is tapered from the left side towardthe right, and the upper edge 4 of the shingle is formed in the presentinstance on three rectilinear lines designated respectively by thereference numerals 5, 6 and I, the lines 5 and 1 extending inwardly fromthe side edges I and 2 respectively and meeting the opposite ends of theline 6 at points 8 and 9. Each of the lines 5, 6 and I is inclined tothe lower edge 3 of the shingle and the points 8 and 9define positionsof maximum and minimum vertical height in the shingle as measuredon'lines normal to the said lower edge 3. These normal lines, which aredesignated by the reference numerals I I and I2, are equidistant fromeach other and from the proximate edges I and 2 as measured along thelower edge 3 so that in effect the shingle is composed of three sectionsdesignated respectively I3, I4 and I 5 of equal width of which the upperedges are formed respectively by the lines 5,6 and I. a

It will be apparent that this shingle conforms in general shape to theshingle illustrated in Fig. 1 of the aforesaid patent but differs as tothe relative lengths of the three lines which constitute the upper edgeof the shingle. This difference in the relative proportions of thesections of the shingle constitutes an element of the present inventionand involves a functional distinction hereinafter set'forth.

In accordance also with the present invention, the shingle is providedin its upper edge with a nail-receiving recess I6, this being located inthe present instance in the portion 5 of the said upper edge at a pointadjoining the intersection 8. The shingle is provided also with a seriesof nail holes designated individually by the reference numerals I'I, I9,I9 and 2I, these apertures being formed on a line parallel to the loweredge 3 and slightly below the intersection 9. I The centers of theterminal holes I! and 2| of the series are located at the same distancefrom'the proximate side edges I and 2, respectively, of the shingle, asthe minimum distance of the center of the recess I6 The hole I8 islocated at the same distance from the normal line II and in verticalalignment with the recess I6; and the point I9 is located between thenormal lines II and I2 and spaced from the latter line a distancecorresponding to the said minimum distance of the recess I6 from thenormal line II. Each of the side edges I and 2 of the shingle isprovided with a small notch, 22 and 23 respectively, which lieequidistant from the lower edge 3 3 of the shingle and somewhat abovethe transverse line of the holes [1, l8, l9 and 2|.

This shingle is adapted for assembly with like shingles in accordancewith the principle set forth in the aforesaid United States patent andas illustrated, for example, in Fig. 2 of the present drawings. Instarting the shingling operation a course of starter shingles may belaid at the lower edge of the roof. These shingles may be rectangular inform but preferably are formed by cutting away the upper and lower partsof the shingle described above, as illustrated, for example, in Fig. 6.Assuming a total shingle length of twenty-four inches, the initialshingle 24 of the starter course may be twelve inches, formed by cuttingin half one of the starter shingles shown in Fig. 6. The second shingle25, and the succeeding shingles, will be the full length. The firstcourse of shingles will then be laid directly on top of the startercourse with the lower edges of the shingles flush with the lower edgesof the starter shingles as illustrated in Fig. 2. The shingles of thisfirst course will be secured in place by means of nails passed throughthe holes I! and 2|, these nails coming in close proximity to the upperedges of the starter shingles as indicated at 26 in Fig. 2. The initialshingle 21 of this course, as well as the second shingle 28 and thesubsequent shingles, will be of full length, so that the joints betweenthe side edges of the shingles will be staggered with respect to thejoints of the starter course.

The second course will start with a part shingle 29 of one third thenormal length corresponding in form to the section l3 of the full len thshingle of Fig. 1, and formed by dividing one of the latter shinglesalong the line II. This shingle will be secured in place by nails passedthrough the holes I! and I8, it being noted that the hole [8, by reasonof its location with respect to the notch I6 of the same shingle, willwhen in properly overlappin relation to the underlying shingle 27 of thefirst course register with the notch N5 of the latter shingle, whereasthe hole I! will lie in proximity to the upper edge of the said shingle21. The starting part shingle 29 will be followed in the second courseby a full shingle 30 which will be secured in place by nails passedthrough the holes I! and 2| of that shingle, it being noted that therelation between the holes 2| and the notches IS in the respectiveshingles is such that when the shingle 3!] is in properly lappedassembly, the hole 2| thereof will register with the notch I6 of thesecond full shingle 28 of the first course as indicated at 3|. Thus eachshingle of an overlying course will have one of its retaining nailspassing through the notch [6 of the immediately underlying shingle.

The advantage of this device will be clear from the sectional view ofFig. 3 wherein it will be noted that by reason of the registration ofthe nail hole 32 in the upper shingle 33 with the notch 34 of the lowershingle 35, the two shingles in the areas immediately intersected by thenail 36 will find a solid support one upon the other, as distinguishedfrom the prior arrangement illustrated in Fig. 4 wherein the nails 31 inany one shingle 38 were located at a substantial distance from the upperedge 39 of the shingle 4| immediately underlying, the upper edge of theunderlying shingle thereby acting as a fulcrum about which the lowerexposed portion of the upper shingle 38 tends to turn upwardly wherebyeventually the normal fiat relation between the shingles is frequentlylost by the curling up of 4 the said lower portion of the shingle, asillustrated in Fig. 5.

In starting the third course of shingles a part shingle consisting ofthe two sections l3 and I4 is used as indicated at 42, in Fig. 2. Thispart shingle is secured in place by nails passed through the holes I!and I9, and in accordance with the principle set forth above the nail l9when the part shingle is in proper position in the assembly willregister with the recess I6 of the underlying shingle 30. The secondshingle 43 and the subsequent shingles of the third course will be offull length and will be secured in place by nails passed through theholes I! and 2| thereof, the nails passing through the latter holesintersecting the notches l6 of the respective underlying shingles of thesecond course as indicated, for example, at 44.

In starting the fourth course a full shingle 45 is used, it being notedthat in this case the nail passed through the hole 2| of this startingshingle of the fourth course will also intersect the notch l6 of theunderlying shingle 43 of the third course. Thus, the first and fourthcourses each initiate with a full shingle, and every fourth course is arepeat course, as distinguished from the shingle form shown in Fig. l ofthe aforesaid patent which required that the order of laying be repeatedin every seventh course. As a result of this modification, the startingpart shingles are of materially greater width than those of the patentedshingle and afford ample space for the required two securing nails. Atendency of the smaller part shingles of the prior patent to break andto become displaced from the roof assembly is thus largely avoided withthe result that a roof of superior stability is afforded and maintenancecharges are substantially reduced.

Another aspect of the present invention which constitutes a substantialimprovement is the fact that with the shingle form and relativearrangement of nail holes described above, the shingle is adapted forstarting from either the right or left hand edge of the roof, as may beexpedient.

- This flexibility of application is illustrated in Figs. '7 and 8 whichillustrate respectively the left and right hand applications. It is tobe noted that in each instance the notches 22 and 23 at the sides of theshingles are effective to locate the shingles accurately with respect toeach other and to bring one or other of the nail holes, as the case maybe, into registration with the notch l6 of an immediately underlyingshingle. It will be noted by reference to Fig. 2 that the locatingnotches 22 and 23 of each shingle registers with the points 8 of the twoimmediately underlying shingles.

While in the interests of economy, it is considered desirable to providea nail receiving notch in the upper edges of the shingles as describedabove, it will be apparent that the same desirable effect may beobtained by passing at least one of the retaining nails for each shinglethrough an aperture formed entirely within the edges 01' the immediatelyunderlying shingle. With the shingle shown in Fig. 1, for example, thenotch l5 might be replaced by an aperture 46 in the same relativeposition with respect to the normal line H, the guide notches 22 and 23being relocated accordingly. Obviously, in this case, a lesser exposedarea at the lower end of the shingles will be afforded and the roofwould contain a larger number of shingles.

It will be understood that the shingle described above is subject tovarious modifications of this character without departure from theinvention.

I claim:

A shingle adapted for assembly side by side in overlapping courses withthe shingles of each course in laterally staggered relation with theshingles of the adjoining courses, said shingle being generallytrapezoidal in shape and of greater horizontal length than verticalheight, the said height varying from side to side and there being pointsof maximum and minimum height located equidistant from the oppositesides of the shingle respectively and a corresponding distance from eachother so that lines normal to the lower edge of the shingle andrespectively intersecting the said points of maximum and minimum heightwill divide the shingle into three sections of equal width, and whereinthe minimum height is more than one-half the maximum height, saidshingle having a series of nail holes located on a common straightnailing line parallel to the bottom edge of the shingle and positionedslightly below the point of minimum height, the terminal nail holes ofsaid series being positioned equidistantly inwardly from the proximateside edges of the shingle, a nail recess in the upper edge of theshingle end section having the point of maximum height, said recessbeing perpendicularly spaced from a line normal to the shingle base fromthe point of maximum heightat a distance equal to the distance between aterminal nail hole and its proximate side edge, said recess also beingvertically aligned with a nail hole on said nailing line, and anothernail hole of said series being positioned on said nailing line adjacentto the point of intersection of said nailing line and a line normal tothe base from the point of minimum height and spaced from the nail holealigned with the nailing recess a distance equal to the width of ashingle section.

PAUL E. WILLIAMS.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number

